No-burn rules hit Marin, fines up to $500 for repeat offenders

Marin residents beginning Friday will be required to check air quality conditions before they burn logs to brace themselves against the cool fall and winter air.

As the winter "Spare the Air" season gets underway, burning wood, manufactured fire logs or any other solid fuel, both indoors and outdoors, is illegal when the Bay Area Air Quality Management District calls an air alert.

This is the fifth year the district is outlawing the use of fireplaces when weather conditions make it likely that smoke will hang in the air and cause particulate pollution, making it difficult for some people to breathe.

The rules are in place until Feb. 28 throughout the entire Bay Area. Marin has led Bay Area counties in the number of complaints filed in each year of the program.

"The smoke effects well beyond just a few people in Marin," said Kristine Roselius, a spokeswoman for the Bay Area Air Quality Management District. "The smoke can cause a lot of problems for many people, including triggering asthma attacks."

Violators can be assessed a $100 penalty. Each violation will have to be confirmed by an inspector from the air district. Second-time offenders face a $500 fine. Those who are cited can get out of paying by going to "smoke school." That requires those caught burning to take an online course that takes about 30 minutes to complete.

"A majority of people who were cited last year took the class, which is great because they learn about the issue," Roselius said.

The owner of Nero's Firewood Inc. in Novato appreciates the goal of the program, but said aspects of it are heavy handed and hurt the mom-and-pop firewood businesses like his.

"It's neighbors policing neighbors like the Gestapo," said Greg Talamini, owner of Nero's. "I think people use common sense, if it's bad air quality, most people are not going to burn. But this is this forced on us."

Based on the amount of wood sold in Marin during the winter season, Talamini estimates the amount of smoke produced is equivalent to an 80-acre forest fire.

"And because we have seasoned wood that burns cleaner it may be closer to 20 acres," he said. "That's compared to the Rim Fire, which burned 237,000 acres."

Meanwhile, a $750 rebate is being offered to residents of the San Geronimo Valley who change out old wood-burning appliances for newer ones. Because there is no gas service in parts of the valley, some residents are allowed to burn wood on days when it is not allowed in other areas of Marin and the Bay Area. The program averages about six rebates a month.

Because of the topography of the area, smoke gets easily trapped and air officials want residents to use cleaner-burning stoves.

"At this rate we should have money through next winter," said Omar Peña, who heads the program for the county.